Jamestown Theater To Host Two Ghastly Productions

Historic Jamestown Island will be the scene of two summer nights of supernatural theater featuring local ghost stories at 8 p.m. July 26 and "The Fall of the House of Usher" at 8 p.m. Aug. 23.

Sponsored by the James City County Department of Parks and Recreation, the Westmoreland Players will present "Jamestown Ghost and Other Hauntings."

The professional touring company will return to Jamestown Island a month later to present "The Fall of the House of Usher," Edgar Allan Poe's famous depiction of decadence and decay, adapted to the stage by modern British playwright Steven Berkoff.

The Jamestown shows are part of "The Supernatural Summer," the Westmoreland Players' drama festival being performed at 27 historic sites in eastern Virginia and Maryland. Both shows will be performed by a four-member company directed by Fred Franklin of Fredericksburg.

"So many people are new to the James City County-Williamsburg area. The ghost stories will teach them some local folklore and local history that will help them feel an affinity for the area," says Franklin.

"The presentations of the ghost stories will also prepare audiences for the highly stylized performance of `The Fall of the House of Usher."

Admission to both shows is free. In case of rain performances will be held in Jamestown Island Theater One. For more information, call 229-5676.